How to Stop Hot Flushes Without HRT

What Stops Hot Flushes Naturally?

There are many natural remedies that may help reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flushes. Some of these include:

• Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga – I am a huge fan of meditation and can 100% confirm being able to not panic when I know my face has turned bright red, has helped me to get past it quicker. Nothing like an embarrassment to adding fuel to an already burning fire! 
• Maintaining a healthy weight through diet and exercise. I have lost 1 stone since I was diagnosed as menopausal, I think I realized that now my hormones were depleting it was time to look after myself properly. Did this stop my hot flushes? Not really.
• Avoiding hot flush triggers such as caffeine, alcohol, spicy foods, and stress. I quit alcohol and it really did help, I stopped having as many night sweats so I can agree this worked for me. I would love to quit stress but this is still a work in progress.
• Alternative therapies such as acupuncture, massage, or hypnosis are often spoken about. It can’t do any harm, right?

Best Over-The-Counter Medicine For Hot Flushes

Herbal supplements such as black cohosh or soy have been shown to offer relief for some women experiencing hot flushes.

However, it is important to note that not all herbal supplements are regulated by the correct governing bodies and may have potential risks or side effects. Please do your research before doing any of this.

Before I started HRT I used Health & Her for Perimenopause and it was really good at lessening the effects of a lot of things and hot flushes were one of them. I found that I slept better and my energy levels definitely increased. I took them for around 3 months. 

Vitamins That Help With Hot Flushes

Vitamin E has been suggested as a natural remedy for reducing the frequency and severity of hot flushes. However, research on its effectiveness is mixed, and it is important to consult with a healthcare provider who really knows their stuff before loading up on Vitamin E. 

There are so many vitamins that we should be taking to ensure that we have the best chance at keeping fit and healthy during menopause but the two I come up against the most are B12 and Vitamin D so let’s take a look. 

B12 and Hot Flushes

A lot of people ask me about this one. While there is no evidence that B12 specifically helps with hot Flushes, getting enough B12 in your diet is important for overall health. 

It is worth mentioning that the symptoms of not having enough B12 can be similar to menopausal symptoms. It is always worth getting checked out if you feel any of the below: 

• fatigue
• weakness
• constipation
• loss of appetite
• numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• balance problems
• depression
• confusion

Our mate B12 is there to make sure we get oxygen flying around our body so I guess it makes sense that if the heart has to work harder to do this when we are low in B12, we might see our hot flushes get worse. 

Vitamin D and Hot Flushes

We know that we need to be taking adequate vitamins to ride this wave as well as we humanly can. Vitamin D is no exception. As we get older our Estrogen levels drop which means our bones weaken, Joy! 

Vitamin D will help to slow this process down which can only be a good thing. There has been some research around Vitamin D helping with hot flushes and night sweats, so I say let’s keep our vitamin D levels up and help ourselves no matter what. 

Getting Instant Relief From Hot Flushes

Besides stripping off and diving head-first into an ice bath, we need to look at more practical ways to cool down when a hot flush arrives. There are classic options like a fan or a cold compress but I always found keeping a really cold bottle of water the quickest relief. Chilli bottles are great at keeping water cool.

My job entails meeting after meeting and whipping out a cold compress is not always an option. But I use a Chilly Bottle and keep really cold water in it. As soon as I feel the heat rising, I take a big glug and several deep breaths. This doesn’t stop the little sucker from coming but it definitely helps to cut it off quickly. 

Best Drinks For Hot Flushes

Outside of my favourite cold water, I go for herbal teas and natural juices. I know this sounds a bit fancy but honestly too much caffeine makes it a lot worse for me, and so do sugary drinks. So avoid these as much as you can to help yourself. 

How to Dress For Hot Flushes

This one is a biggie. I am going to go over this in much more detail in my next blog post but here are the highlights of what to consider: 

• Fabric – chose breathability over anything else
• Loose – nothing clingy will work in the throws of a hot flush
• Layers – be able to take things off when needed. 
• Avoid colours that darken when wet – no one needs sweat patches to make us feel even more self-conscious.

We live in such a wonderful time where loose and baggy are accepted. I am not talking about walking around in a kaftan (although I did this all last summer) I am saying that it is not the 1950’s and we do not need to wear corsets and fitted dresses if we don’t want to. 

So wear whatever the hell you want if it makes you comfortable. Comfort is Queen. 

Why Hot Flushes Can Get Worse

As I mentioned before, caffeine and alcohol were big instigators for me but lots of other women mention spicy foods and stress as their triggers. 

So if you are really suffering with this after you cut these things out then it is worth a trip to the GP. Let them know nothing is working and see what advice you get. 

Be bold and don’t give in, suffering from severe hot flushes is the pits and you deserve better my love. 

Cutting out stress is not easy at all, but it is worth looking into what works for you to keep yourself a tiny bit calmer. Meditation really has helped me to calm the stress that I suffered for MANY years. It has not gone but I am now a ninja and can spot it when stress is creeping in, so I up my meditation and remember this too, along with my hot flush, will pass. 

Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, there are many natural ways to manage hot flushes without HRT. From relaxation techniques to alternative therapies, healthy eating habits, regular exercise, and stress reduction techniques, there are many options for finding relief. 

However, it is important to talk to a healthcare provider before starting any new supplements or making significant changes to your diet or exercise routine. With a little experimentation and guidance, it is possible to manage hot flushes and other menopause symptoms naturally.

If you have come across anything that works for you, please share it with us sister. We all need to try everything we can, no matter how nuts it might be!

Kathryn x